Yolo County Biographies
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John Craig Drummond
As fall the ripened fruits and the autumn leaves upon the somber earth, there to
receive burial beneath a white shroud of snow, so pass the pioneers from the
darkness of life�s night into the gracious memory of the past. Few still remain
of the rugged youths who were allured to the west by thrilling tales concerning
the discovery of gold and who nobly performed their part in the upbuilding of a
great commonwealth, whose present prosperity may be attributed largely to their
labors during the formative period of western civilization. An honored place in
the annals of Yolo county was filled by the late John C. Durmmond and his memory
remains green in the hearts of family and friends, while his wife, who came
across the plains in girlhood and has witnessed the remarkable expansion of
local resources, remains to receive the kindly hospitality of old-time friends
and the sympathetic reverence of a younger generation of workers.
It may be taken for granted that the early life of Mr. Drummond in Rahway, N.
J., where he was born in 1828, prepared him for hardships and pioneer tasks in
the west. Certain it is that he proved equal to every emergency that arose and
acquitted himself manfully in every responsibility of a long and useful
existence. When he took the long voyage around the Horn in 1849 it was with the
intention of trying for a fortune in the mines, but his experiences in that
occupation were not encouraging and in a short time he resumed his trade of a
blacksmith, which he had learned in the east. For twelve years he followed his
trade in Sacramento and meanwhile accumulated savings to an amount justifying
him in landed investments. Coming to Yolo county, he secured the title to seven
hundred acres of land seven miles east of Davis and here he remained until his
death, which occurred November 12, 1895. Meanwhile he had risen to a high rank
among the farmers of Yolo county and had been markedly successful in the raising
of grain as well as stock. It was his privilege to witness the steady
development of the west and he might well recount with pride his association
with the history of the state from the time of its admission to the Union until
his own activities came to an end.
Any account of the life of this sterling pioneer would be incomplete were no
mention made of his faithful, devoted wife, to whose loyal co-operation and
unflagging industry his own material success largely might be attributed. Sarah
Frances Reid was born in Franklin county, Tenn., February 5, 1844, and was one
of sixteen children, fourteen of whom came across the plains in company with
their parents, William F. and Elizabeth (Shores) Reid. Six months of 1857 were
spent on the road and finally, on October 15 of that year, the family thankfully
reached their destination in Yolo county, all well and hearty, and even their
horses and cattle brought through without any heavy loss. The journey, however,
had not been without its trials and dangers and many of these Mrs. Drummond well
remembers. Of her descendants there are nine grandchildren and eight
great-grandchildren and all of them who are old enough to appreciate her tales
of early days love to listen to her accounts of the trip across the plains,
presenting as it does, a graphic picture of a period radically different from
our twentieth-century civilization. In the immediate family of Mrs. Drummond
there are three daughters, living, namely: Mrs. Annie Ramey and Mrs. Bettie
Tufts, both of whom live near Davis, and Mrs. Lillian Hafner, who makes her home
in the city of Oakland. Mrs. Drummond since her husband�s death continues to
reside in Davis, looking after her interests and still owns three hundred acres
of the old homestead where she went as a bride and where her children were born.
Transcribed by Bea Barton
Source: �History of Yolo County, California� by Tom Gregory. Published by the
Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, California, 1913, pages 417 - 421.